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Nigeria’s hydro power generating capacity is threatened with the move by the Niger Republic to build a multi-purpose dam on the upper end of the River Niger.

It is all very odd. Here is a country that has the capacity to shoulder the electricity burden of at least three countries in the West Africa sub-region, and a government that came into power with the promise to resolve the country’s power problems within a given time frame still struggling to convince itself it has the ideas on how to get that done.
The consequence of lack of ideas on how to take the power sector forward today will soon be manifest when Niger Republic, a country Nigeria has for long serviced, makes true its resolve to discard the service Nigeria provides.
The problem here is that up until now there is no official reaction from Nigeria officials to the steps taken by Niger Republic to build a dam on the River Niger. A dam on the Niger will mean a colossal loss not only to Nigeria’s electricity hope but the agricultural capacity of states that border the River Niger. The revenue loss associated with this will also be incalculable.
Here is picture of what is unfolding today with regards to the two power stations Niger Republic relies on for its electricity supply.
The Kainji and Jebba power stations are two of the most reliable and cost effective power stations in Nigeria. The turbines of both stations are turned by water, the God-given natural resource and the two stations have weathered a lot of storms while contributing their quota to the Nigerian fragile power generation system.
However, in the coming years the stations may be permanently shut down because of some unflolding circumstances.
Analysts say the stations, with combined installed capacities of 1,500 MW, could be paralysed in the coming years as Niger Republic begins the construction of a hydro-electric-power dam on the upstream side of the River Niger.
If Niger Republic begins the construction of a hydro electric power dam, it suggests that Nigeria has failed them with regards to promise made to keep supply to them consistent. It also will mean that the opportunity to correct the crises in the power sector will be lost for ever.
The Kainji and Jebba power stations have for a long time been playing a stabilising role in the Nigerian power Industry. When all the thermal stations go down because of poor gas supply, it is the two hydro stations that usually come to the rescue putting in at least 1,000 Megawatts to the national grid.
Of recent, the management of PHCN has been relying more on the hydro power stations as the thermal stations become more and more unreliable because of regular gas supply disruptions. By PHCN plans, the hydro stations are supposed to be in service between December and June of every year while the thermal stations will be used more between June and December. Water begins to flow into the Kainji lake from Futa Djallon in June and gets to its peak by December of every year. However, with the Nation’s irregular gas supply, PHCN has had to run the hydro power plants earlier than scheduled, with the Nation using the hydro stations to keep some lights on nationwide when the thermal plants are down.
However, all of these may be lost in the coming years as the hydro stations at Kainji and Jebba are facing a serious challenge of survival.
Indeed, Nigeria has been supplying electricity of about 35 megawatts daily to Niger Republic over the years mainly to discourage the country from building a dam on the Niger River.
Also, the Country has always been meeting with countries on the river route like Niger and Mali, through the Niger river commission , with the intention of securing the water supply to the Kainji lake. However, Nigeria’s diplomacy over the years could be tagged failed, as Niger Republic has begun to construct its own hydroelectric dam on River Niger.
In August 2008, Niger launched the Kandadji dam project, which is being built on River Niger and is expected to cost $709 million and boost farming and power generation in the country.
Nigeria is located on the downstream side of the river and experts say that the project will lead to reduction of not less than ten percent inflow of water to the Nigerian side.
Even presently, experts say that there has been consistent reduction in water inflow into the river over the years because of climate variability. Thus, it is feared that a combination of climate variability and water withdrawal by the new dam could paralyse the Kainji and Jebba power stations in the coming years.
Former Executive Director, Generation of NEPA, Goddy Orangunye, told BusinessDay that the building of the dam by Niger would definitely affect water inflow into Kainji and thereby affect power generation at the hydro stations.
“Water starts flowing into the Kainji Lake by June from Futa Djallon and it fills up by December. So, the plan is always that we fill the dam up till December and start using the water between December and June”.
“However, if the dam is built, it will seriously affect inflow of water into the Kainji lake which will in turn affect Jebba because Jebba is downstream of Kainji”, the power expert added.
He further stressed “That is why we give Niger about 40 Megawatts daily to discourage them from damming the river”.
A top official of PHCN who pleaded anonymity also noted that the construction of the dam on River Niger would pose a serious problem to the survival of the two power stations.
“The commencement of construction means serious trouble for Kainji and Jebba because Jebba is downstream of Kainji and Nigeria is at the downstream side of River Niger”, he stressed.
Nigeria’s third hydro power station, the Shiroro power station, is however not on the river.
The Kandadji dam will be funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which has pledged $236 million for the project that has been discussed for nearly 40 years.
The Kandadji dam is expected to be completed in 2013.
Financing for the hydropower station itself is due to come from a public-private partnership, the Nigerien government has said
However, the General Manager, Public Affairs of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria [PHCN], Efuru Igbo, said the issue of the new Kandaji dam and its likely effect on inflow of water into Nigerian power stations on the river are being discussed at the Niger River Commission, which comprises member-countries where the river flows through.
While Energy Analysts are bothered over the impact that the Niger dam could have on Nigeria’s power supply, those at the helm of affairs at the Nation’s power Industry and the Presidency seems to be unperturbed.
A source complained: “How can something like that happen and Nigeria is offering no response? It is doubtful if Kainji and Jebba could survive the reduction in water inflow that would follow the coming on stream of the Kandadji dam”.
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about 4180 km (2600 miles). Its drainage basin is 2,117,700 square kilometres (817,600 sq mi) in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea. It runs in a crescent through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta of the Oil Rivers, into the Gulf of Guinea. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaïre River). Its main tributary is the Benue River.